


Michihiraki

by spiralmaiden



Category: Free!
Genre: Gen, Mentioned Nanase Haruka, anxiety about the future, idek, omamori, sort of, this second season is ruining my life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-07
Updated: 2014-09-07
Packaged: 2018-02-16 13:32:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2271603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiralmaiden/pseuds/spiralmaiden
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A charm to open a path, to help you find your way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Michihiraki

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this because I was stressed. Not really beta'd. I have no idea what I was trying to accomplish here but I felt better after writing it, so.

Makoto blinks. As a haze of distraction clears, he finds himself the few extra steps past Haru’s house at the _torii_ of the shrine. He’s not really in the habit of visiting it alone, but now that he’s there, he decides he may as well. Maybe his feet know better than he does what exactly was on his mind that brought him here.

A bobbing crowd of middle school girls is nearby, laughing and clamoring, and he feels a bit better about not being the only one on the grounds. The elder woman who minds the sales window seems quite cheery to be doing something other than putting the shrine’s seal in the collection booklets of aging tourists, and is holding a tray out to the group as they they enthusiastically peruse. Makoto watches them out of the corner of his eye as he drops a few coins into the donation box and gives the bell an idle shake.

The tray is filled with colorful _omamori_. Two of the girls choose pink-colored charms and the rest of their friends nudge them and titter. They pay the woman and thank her, and the teenage storm passes as the group sets off down the stairs. It takes Makoto a moment to realize that he and the woman are the only ones left there now, and she’s caught him watching. She hefts the tray in his direction and smiles. “Would you like to look as well?”

He almost says no, that he really should be going, but instead he smiles sheepishly and moves over to the window. “May I?”

The charms are arranged in neat rows, first by what they lend their help to, and then by color. They're all the same basic shape and size, aside from a few that are smaller and meant for children: safe birth, growing up healthy. Ran still has hers from her last _S_ _hichi-go-san_ ceremony and refuses to give it up every year when it comes time to return the charms to the shrine to be burned in thanks. It’s her favorite, she always says, and she'll never have another one like it since she  _isn't a little kid anymore!_ He smiles at the thought.

There are another set of charms on one end that are a different shape, more radically than even the smaller ones. These ones are octagons, intricately stitched in silk with the kanji for the animals of the zodiac at each edge. His long fingers catch the string of one and lift it, dangling it before his face thoughtfully.

“Oh, the _M_ _ichihiraki_ ,” said the woman, a knowing chuckle bubbling up between words, “the life compass. We have a lot of young people taking those home these days.”

He looks past the charm to meet her gaze again, eyes wide. “For helping you find your way, you mean?”

She nods and sets the tray down. “And to guard that way once you've found it.”

His focus returns to the charm, now turning this way and that in a breeze he can feel rushing up the stairs from the ocean. He takes it in his palm and the cloth of it catches on his chlorine-roughened skin. A moment later he puts down his schoolbag and rifles through his pocket for a few more coins. “I'll take this one.”

“I’m sure it will serve you well.”

He gives her a little bow and grabs his schoolbag and takes his leave.

Just past the _torii_ , his feet turn him to Haru’s front door. He realizes Haru probably still isn't home from when they parted ways earlier. For a moment, Makoto shuffles the _omamori_ between his fingers and considers hanging it near the door for Haru to find. But, after glancing around he can’t find anything readily available to put it on, and besides, he knows it wouldn't be right to leave the charm outside exposed to the elements where the capricious wind he can still feel could blow it the ground.

There’s also the lingering feeling that he isn't sure he doesn't need it himself.

He takes a moment to tie it to his schoolbag before puffing out a breath and trotting down the stairs to his house.

He'll share it with Haru later, when the time is right.


End file.
